Roast Leg of Lamb

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Trim any excess fat from the leg of lamb, leaving a very thin layer. Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper, and, if you like, with chopped herbs; if time allows, do this one or two days before roasting. If the leg is boned and not yet tied, season it inside as well and add slices of garlic before tying with string).

   Step 2

   Remove the roast from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before cooking and put it in a roasting pan. If you like, put the meat on a bed of rosemary or woody thyme branches to perfume the roast while cooking. Roast the lamb in a preheated 375°F oven for 30 minutes, turn it over, and cook it for another 20 minutes. Turn it again and continue roasting until the internal temperature registers 128°F (medium-rare) on a meat thermometer. Take the reading at the center of the roast, the thickest and least-done part, without touching the bone. The total cooking time will be about 1 hour and 20 minutes, but start checking with the thermometer after an hour to make sure it is not overcooking. For meat cooked beyond medium-rare, to medium, take the roast out when it reaches 138°F. Let it rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before carving and serving.

   Step 3

   Skim off the fat from the pan juices. Add a splash of wine, water, or stock to the pan and heat on the stove, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Collect all the juices released from the meat after resting and carving, and add to the pan. Simmer briefly and serve with the meat.

2. Tying a Roast

   Step 4

   Tying a roast, whether bone-in or boneless, will hold the meat together in one piece while roasting or braising, ensuring even cooking and integrity of shape and texture. It is best to season and flavor the meat before tying it.

3. Step 5

   Lay the roast on the table, lengthwise perpendicular to you. Stretch cotton string taut between your hands and slip it under the end of the roast nearest to you. Encircle the roast tightly about an inch from and parallel to the end, and tie a simple knot on the top. Hold the string up in one hand, then wrap it over the fingers of your other hand, spreading your fingers to make an open loop. Slip the loop over the front end of the roast and drag it back to about an inch in front of and parallel to the first tied loop, and give the string a tug to tighten it. Hold the string taut to keep it tight around the roast and repeat: Make another loop, slip it under the front of the roast, drag it down to the previous one, and pull it tight; proceed several more times to nearly the end of the roast.

4. Step 6

   Continue to keep tension on the string, pull it under the end of the roast, and turn the roast over. Pull the string back to you, about twice the length of the roast, and cut it. Th en make a series of half hitches around each loop: Starting with the far end, lift up the loop, slip the string under and around it, and pull it snug. Do the same for the next loop, and so on, down to the last one at the end nearest you. Flip the roast over, pull the string up over the end, and tie it off at the knot of the first loop, the starting point. Trim the string ends, and done.